Lever switch for electric sockets



Oct. 14 1924. 3,531,440

R. B. BENJAMIN LEVER SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC SOCKETS Filed June 28, 1922 14I3 37 25 7 2o v 33 38 7 :Lfill in V a3 I" 1/ HTT'DRNEYE i of breakingcomparatively heavy current tion.

Patented Oct. 14, 1924. v I

UNITED STATES PATIENT" OFFICE. v

REUBEN is. BENJAMIN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMINImEc'rBIo MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF GHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

LEVER SWITCH Fo a ELEo'rEIc so'cxE'rs.

Application filed June 28, 1922. Serial No. 571,893.-

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Lever Switches forElectricS0ckets, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming apartof this specification.

My invention relates to lever switches and more particularly to leverswitches arranged for use in electric light sockets.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved leverswitch which will be of comparatively small size and capable and onewhich may be easily confined within the limits of the base of anordinary electric lamp socket.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lever switch which willbe durable and efiicient in use, simple in construction, of few partsandcheap to manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to improve certain features ofswitch construe- Further objects will appear from "the detaileddescription to follow and from the appended claims.

In the drawings in which an embodiment of my invention is shown;

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section showing my improved switchas used in an ordinary lamp socket, the operating lever being shown infull lines;

I Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the socket interior and switch asshown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the socket interior;

Fig. 4 is a to plan. view of the lower base of the soc et interiorshowing the switch mounted thereon;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a section through the socket interior and the switch and takenon line 77 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken on line 88 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one'of'the contacting members; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of theswitch" showing the parts in theon-position, the off-position being shown by, dotted lines.

Referring now to'the drawings in detail, in my invention as illustrated,I provide a lower insulating switch base 10 on which are mounted athreaded shell contact 11 and a center contact 12, and an upperinsulating base 13 on which are located the binding terminals 14.- and15, the socket interior thus formed being enclosed in an ordinary"casing 16.

a The switch illustrated is mounted between the bases 10 and 13 andcomprises a U- shaped member 17 having a pair of switch blades or arms18, a slide portion 19, and a coil compression spring 20 which holds theslide portion 19 against the inner end of the switch lever 21 as shownin Figs. 1, 7 and 10.

The switch lever .21 is provided with a cam member comprising twooppositely inclined portions 22 and 23 meeting at a crest 24.

When the handle 25 of the switch lever 21 is pushed upwardly in theposition shown by dotted lines .in Fig. 10, the U-shaped member 17 ispushed outwardly agalnst the tension of the compression spring 20 untilthe crest 24 of the cam member passes the point of application ofpressure of the spring 20; the slide 19 is oscillation from a positionrom which it is in engagement with one of the inclined port-ions, asshown in full lines in Fig. 10,

ivena quick to the position in which it is in engagement ing member 27which is seated in the bear ing notches 28 in the U-shaped member 17.This transversely extending portion 27 also serves to guide the end ofthe sprin as it extends into oppositely disposed gui e slots 29 and 30-between the bases 10 and 13 as mounted switch arm,

16 and is arranged of the thumb or finger to produce a quick make or.break action of the switch.

shown in Fig. 4, the opposite end of the spring bearing against t einsulating, bases as shown in Fig. 1.

The U-shaped contact member 17 controls the circuit between the wiringterminals, and for this purpose a pair of contact members 31 and 32 areprovided, the contact member 32 being electrically connected with thecenter contact 12 by means of the eyelet 33, and the contact 31 beingelectrically 0on nectedwith the wirin terminal 14 by means of the screw34 as s own in Fig. 5. Th shell contact 11 is electrically connected tothe wiring terminal-15 b means of the screw35 as illustrated in ig. 5.

When the contact blades 8 of the switch snap down into engagement withthe contacts 31 and 32, the circuit is completed between these contacts,as the switch blades 18 are formed as a part of th U-shaped sheet metalstamping 17; when the contact blades 18 snap out from between thesecon.- tacts 31 and 32 the circuit is broken.

The handle 25 of ,the switch lever 21 extends through an opening 36 inthe casing to be operated by means The switch lever 21 is supported onthe bearing 37 which extends into the notches 38 in the insulating bases10 and 13.

While I have shown. but one form of my invention it is obvious that itmay be embodied in other forms as covered and defined by the appendedclaims.

aving thus described my invention, what I' claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lever switch comprising a pivoted operating lever, a pivotally andslidably the pivot of which is slidable toward and from the pivot of theoperating lever, spring means for forcing the pivot of the switch armtoward the pivot of the operating lever, said switch arm carrying abearing member having a bearing surface extending transversely of theline of spring pressure, said pivoted operating lever having a bearingpoint movable along said surface past the dead center between saidpivots, to cause a. snap action of the switch arm when said dead center.

2. A lever switch comprising a pivoted operating lever, a pivotally andslidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is point passes the saidv slidable toward and from the pivot of the of spring pressure,

operating lever, spring means for forcing the ivot of the switch armtoward the pivot of t e operating lever, said switch arm carrying abearing member having a bearing surface extending transversely of theline said pivoted operating lever having a bearing point movable alongsaid surface past the dead center between maid pivots, to cause a snapaction of the 3 switch arm when said point passes the said dead center,said operating lever having a stop portion engaged by said bearingsurface to limit the snap movement. v

3. A switch comprising a pivoted operating member, a pivotally andslidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is slidable toward andfrom the pivot of the operating member, spring means for pressing thepivot of said switch arm toward the pivot of said operating member, saidswitch arm carryin a bearing member having a bearing sur ace extendingtransversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted operatingmember having a bearing point movable along said surface "past the deadcenter between said pivots to cause a snap action ofthe switch arm, anda two-part insulating base between the parts of which said switchmechanism is housed.

4. A switch comprising a pivoted operat-' ing member, a pivotally andslidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which isslidable toward andfrom the pivot of the operating member, spring means for pressing thepivot of said switch arm toward the pivot of said operating member, saidswitch arm carrying a bearing member having a bearing surface extendingtransversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted operatingmember having a bearing point movable along said surface past the deadcenter between said pivots to cause a snap action of the switch arm, aninsulating base on which .said switch mechanism is mountedfhaving arecess therein, said spring means comprising a coil compression springmounted and guided for movement in said recess.

5. A switch comprising a pivoted operating member, a pivotally andslidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is slidable toward andfrom the pivot of the operating member, spring means for pressing thepivot of said switch arm toward the pivot of said operating member, saidswitch arm carrying a bearing member having a bearing surface extendingtransversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted operatingmember having a bearing point movable along said surface past the deadcenter between said pivots to cause a snap action of the switch arm, anda two-part insulating base between the parts of which said switchmechanism is housed, the pivot of said switch arm being slidable betweenand guided for movement gy and between the parts of said insulating ase.

6. A lever switch-comprising a pivoted opslidably the pivot of which isfrom the pivot of the Y having a bearing rying a bearing member having abearing surface extending transversely of the line of spring pressure,said pivoted operating lever having a bearing point movable along saidsurface past the dead center between said pivots, to cause a snap actionof the switch arm when said point passes the said dead center, saidspring means and the pivot of said switch arm being formed as parts ofan integral wire bent to provide a coil compression s ring and atransversely extending slidab e pivot pin.

7. A lever switch comprising a pivoted operating lever, a pivotally andslidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is slidable toward andfrom the pivot of the operating lever, spring means for forcing the ivotof the switch arm toward the pivot of the operating lever, said switcharm carrying a bearing member having a bearing surface extendingtransversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted operatinglever oint movable along said surface past the sad center between saidpivots, to cause a snap action of the switch arm when said point passesthe said dead center, said switch arm comprisin a U- shaped member, thearms of whic form contact members and the cross-bar of which forms thebearing member.

8. A lever switch comprising a pivoted operating lever, a pivotally andslidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is slidable towardandfrom the pivot of the operating lever, spring means for forcing theivot of the switch arm toward the pivot of t e operating lever, saidswitch arm cararms of which form contacts straddling the coilcompression spring.

9. A lever switch comprising a pivoted operating lever, a pivotally andslidably mounted switch arm, the pivot of which is slidable toward andfrom the pivot of the operating lever, spring means for forcing thepivot of the switch arm toward the pivot of the operating lever, saidswitch arm carrying a bearing member having a bearing surface extendingtransversely of the line of spring pressure, said pivoted o eratinglever having a bearing point movable along said surface past the deadcenter between said pivots, to cause a snap action of the switch armwhen said point passes the said dead center, said spring meanscomprising a coil compression spring, and said switch arm comprising aU-shaped member, the arms of which form contacts straddlin the coilcom-' pression spring and have openings therein to receive the slidablepivot member of the switch am In witness whereof,I scribed my nameREUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

have hereunto sub-

